New Orleans groups help grow trees for vanishing cypress swamps
yaleclimateconnections.org
yaleclimateconnections.org
"Wagon wheels" are visible remnants to first-half 20th century logging. A ditch was dredged into the center of an area intended to be logged. A large steam (earlier)/diesel(later) winch and cable was set in the middle of the area. Felled logs were then dragged in toward the winch. The resulting scar to the bayou looks like a "wagon wheel" from above.
Oil/gas exploration canals are more prominent from 1930s-1970s exploration and establishment of miniature "platforms" and well heads throughout bayou areas. Approx. 30'-0" wide canals were dredged to 10-12' depth to create straight line canals wide enough to accommodate floating barges. The dredge byproduct was simply mounded to each side of the canal.
Both of these created channels for saltwater to intrude into previously fresh water swamps which lead to the death of the swamp. Saltwater doesn't just intrude due to hurricane storm surge, it happens every day during tidal action. I've seen strong currents with water moving 2-3 feet per second in some of the gas exploration canals.
Two solutions: the first is to require the oil companies to backfill the canals, which the Louisiana government will never do because of the close relationship with the oil/gas industry.
The second is to allow springtime runoff to flow into these areas which will never happen because the levee systems prevent this from happening. Levees are meant to protect people's land and homes from flooding in storm surges, which also forces river systems and fresh water to stay in the river's banks during spring runoff, whereas in the past the runoff would "sheet" across wide areas and flood them with fresh water.
The demand for cheap construction is as high as anywhere else, think slab on grade neighborhoods with street access, whereas Lousisiana would benefit much more from a more culturally historic construction style of homes on platforms with waterway access, think boating to school.